04-12-17 – Preview – Harrogate Town Vs Harriers

Following the 3-0 home win against Gainsborough Trinity, on Saturday, that saw us enter the play offs for the first time this season the Harriers will be hoping to climb another place up the table by beating high flying Harrogate Town on their own plastic tomorrow evening.

The win against Trinity saw the Reds go into seventh place, two points behind Bradford Park Avenue, but with a game in hand. It’s crucial that we use this to our advantage and with us on a great run at the moment, and Harrogate going through something of a mini slump, then there is no better time than now to do so.

Town have only won twice in their previous five games and lost 3-2 at struggling FC Utd of Manchester on Saturday after having taken a first half lead. They let in three goals during the second half and only a late Simon Ainge penalty gave them a result that looked closer than it actually was.

Ainge is the one to watch for us now that he has returned from a long term injury. Although he has only made seven appearances so far this season he has knocked home ten goals to make him one of the leading scorers in the division so the converted defender is one that we need to be keeping a close eye on.

We should be able to call on an almost full squad again for the game with, apart from long termers Dan Bradley and Lee Vaughan, only Andre Wright still missing. There could be a doubt surrounding Yan Klukowski after he was subbed almost as soon as he had come on against Gainsborough. After only two minutes on the pitch he took a bang to the head and had to leave the field for attention to a blood injury and never returned.

I can see us continuing our good form of late and would love to see us get all three points to take us further up the table. It’s not going to be easy with the hosts wanting to get out of the rut they’re in and with Ainge now back they’ll be depending on his goals to achieve that. Fingers crossed for a Harriers win then.

Photo © YCFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

Hall, Eve, Palmer, Williams, Taylor, Horsfall, O’Connor, Pearson, Croasdale, Truslove, Weeks, Austin, A Brown, Sonupè, Klukowski, McQuilkin, N’Gwatala, Ironside, A Wright.

Harrogate from:

Belshaw, Cracknell, Fallowfield, Vann, Lees, Gooda, Barr, Middleton, Kennedy, Burrell, Parker, O’Hanlon, Swain, Falkingham, Agnew, Kerry, Emmet, Thompson, Hudson, Leesley, Thewlis, Beck, Day, J Wright, Mulhearn, Knowles, Ainge.

Talk about the game here and phone the Harriers Hotline on 01905 577 777 after the game too.

Links to Harrogate Town websites here

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